Miami is presently occupying the last position in MLS standings.
ISLAMABAD: Lionel Messi took his place on the bench, building anticipation for his highly anticipated debut with Inter Miami against the Mexican team Cruz Azul.
Argentine superstar Messi, along with his former Barcelona teammate, Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets, recently joined the Major League Soccer club and were both named as substitutes for the Leagues Cup match.
After his contract with Paris Saint-Germain came to an end in June, Messi, a World Cup winner and seven-times Ballon dāOr recipient, made history as the biggest signing in MLS.
The sell-out 20,000 crowd included stars like LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, and Serena Williams, with many fans sporting replica pink Miami shirts adorned with Messiās name and number 10 on the back.
NBA star James, currently with the Los Angeles Lakers, achieved remarkable success with the Miami Heat, securing two NBA championships with the club and warmly embracing Messi before the game.
Miami coach Gerardo Martino, who previously coached Messi at Barcelona and the Argentine national team, hinted that the star might not be fully prepared to play a full game as he had just returned to training this week after his family vacation.
For fans disappointed by Messi’s absence from the starting lineup, Martino couldn’t even assure them that the star would make an appearance in the game.
“We’ll see, it depends on the match’s circumstances. We’ve talked about it, we’ve trained, and we’ll look for the best form for them,” he said shortly before the contest.
Not only the fans were eagerly anticipating Messi’s presence from the start; fireworks exploded above the grandstands when the referee blew the whistle to commence the match.
Miami co-owner David Beckham appealed to the fans to be patient with Messi and Busquets as they settle into their new home and club.
“The Englishman asserted, “Leo’s still going to need time to adapt, no matter how good he is or what his stature is, along with Sergio.”
